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Fears of
risk from
Thurston
students
By MATT BOWEN
THESE young people aren t
young criminals but some of
them will have violent crimi-
nal histories .
Two quotes from people on
opposite sides of the Thurston
Place College fence.
The first comes from Child
Youth and Family northern
regional director Grant Ben-
nett -- the second from com-
munity leader, parent and
opponent Richard Spong.
Work on the school
designed to cater for up to
100 young people under CYF
care has been frozen pending
consultation.
The Education Ministry s
plan outraged many in the
Bucklands Beach community.
Students with severe
behavioural problems aged
11 to 17 would fill the
Thurston Place College roll.
Opponents say locating the
facility on the doorstep of
Pigeon Mountain Primary
School and nearby Bucklands
Beach Intermediate and
Macleans College is wrong.
It poses an unnecessary
safety risk to students and
the community, they say.
A meeting did little to allay
those fears.
Mr Spong, Pigeon Moun-
tain Primary School principal
Ginty Bigwood and board of
trustees chairman Cameron
Astill discussed the issue
with Mr Bennett this month.
They will have criminal
histories -- some of them viol-
ent criminal histories, Mr
Spong says.
Some would likely have
committed crimes that are
punishable by imprisonment.
It s not a youth justice facility
but they will be coming from
youth justice facilities which
are secure into this facility
which they can leave when-
ever they like -- that really
gave us no assurance.
Mr Spong claims there has
been no risk or threat assess-
ment considered for residents
and students within the
school s environs and that
staff will have no power to
detain a student who leaves
the property or absconds.
Among assurances the
Ministry of Education and
CYF can give are a perimeter
fence if necessary, a high
teacher to student ratio and
creating an environment in
which the students will want
to stay on the premises.
Details of the consultation
process with neighbouring
schools and the community
are yet to emerge.
Baking up tasty muffins for Red Nose Day to help Cure Kids
Home baking is not your
usual stationery store fare
but it will be in Paper Plus
Howick today.
Store owner Katie Trene-
man spent her Thursday
night baking muffins and
cookies to mark Red Nose
Day for Cure Kids.
The tasty goods will be
available alongside red noses
for a small donation.
Staff will be getting into
the theme by donning their
craziest red hats, wigs and
brightest lipstick to encour-
age customers to donate to a
good cause.
We had such a blast get-
ting into the Red Nose Day
spirit last year that we just
had to do it again, Ms Trene-
man says.
All the staff are really
looking forward to it -- it s a
great excuse to get a little
crazy for the day.
Funds raised will be
invested in vital medical
research into all childhood
illnesses.
The organisation is cur-
rently funding research into
diseases such as stillbirth,
sudden infant death syn-
drome, sudden unexplained
death in the young, type-1
diabetes, obesity, cystic
fibrosis and pre-term baby
survival,
Go to www.curekids
.org.nz for information.
Nomination a great reward for teacher
A+: Elm Park Primary School teacher Anna Graham has been nominated for a teaching award.
Photo: STEPHANIE FAWCETT
By STEPHANIE FAWCETT
For Anna Graham the best
part of the job is seeing chil-
dren enjoy learning.
And now the Elm Park
Primary School teacher s
passion for her work has
paid off and she has been
nominated for the New Zea-
land Excellence in Teaching
and Leadership Awards.
But Mrs Graham wasn t
always destined to become a
teacher.
I was studying for a
degree in commerce and my
best friends were studying
to be teachers and my
husband s a teacher so that
piqued my interest, she
says.
I finished my commerce
degree and then did the
teaching diploma on the end
of it. Being a teacher is an
opportunity to make a dif-
ference in kids lives.
Mrs Graham might have
found her true calling in
teaching but had no idea she
had been nominated for an
award until she received a
certificate from the awards
organisation.
The first I heard about it
was when I was sent a cer-
tificate saying I d been
nominated by somebody,
she says.
The parent who nomin-
ated her says Mrs Graham s
teaching manner and
efficiency appeal to both
parents and children.
She says Mrs Graham
teaches through encourage-
ment and her special needs
child is thriving academi-
cally and emotionally under
her guidance.
For the next stage of the
awards process Mrs Graham
and her fellow nominees
have to create an online
teaching profile.
The teaching profiles will
be looked over by the
awards committee before
they select 20 regional rep-
resentatives to receive
awards in Wellington in
May next year.
From these, 10 regional
award winners will receive
national awards and profes-
sional development grants
from a pool of $35,000. Two
$5000 and three $2500
grants will each be made for
excellence in teaching and
for excellence in leadership.
Visit www.neita.co.nz or
contact the NEiTA Foundation
on 308-0576.